This also caught the attention of several veteran Chinese football greats, including Fan Zhiyi, who saw Wang Shiyu's talent.
Fan Zhiyi got in touch with Wang Yi's agent, who eventually put him in contact with Wang Yi.
He didn't beat around the bush. The moment he got on the phone, he said, "I'm Fan Zhiyi."
Wang Yi was coaching Wang Shiyu through basketball drills at the time.
The instant he picked up, he already knew what Fan Zhiyi wanted.
"General Fan, hello! Hello!"
Fan Zhiyi got straight to the point. "Wang Yi, I watched your son's match footage. His talent for soccer is outstanding. You absolutely can't let it go to waste on basketball."
Wang Yi said with a smile, "He's got a knack for basketball, too."
"I know," Fan Zhiyi replied. "But even with all that talent, can he surpass your achievements in basketball someday?"
"Besides, a new crop of talent has already emerged in Chinese basketball, and the systems for scouting and developing players are gradually taking shape. We'll see even more talent come through in the future."
"But there's a serious shortage of soccer talent, and the pipeline has dried up. With talent like your son's, putting him in basketball would make you a sinner in the eyes of Chinese football."
Fan Zhiyi said it jokingly.
Wang Yi had known for a long time that his son had a gift for soccer, and that sooner or later plenty of people would try to persuade him to let his son play.
He smiled and replied, "General Fan, Xiao Yu has a lot of talent, but I think we should respect his wishes when it comes to whether he chooses soccer or basketball."
Fan Zhiyi paused in thought, then said:
"You're right about that. We should respect the child's